Wales and the South Coast are the nation’s DIY property sale hotspots

The latest research by tradespeople comparison site, HaMuch.com, has looked at where is home to the highest level of tradesperson demand based on the number of existing properties being bought and sold and in need of further work.

*Existing property sales refers to properties that are not new build

Spring is fast approaching bringing a boost in the number of both residential and commercial property sales and while moving to new property presents its own substantial list of things to do, once the dust has settled the majority of home movers and business owners still have a whole host of DIY jobs that require professional help.

Across England and Wales, there were hundreds of thousands of property sales last year and the vast majority (89%) of these were existing properties, not newly built ones.

For the large part, those moving into a newly built premise will have little need for a professional trade person, however, for those acquiring an existing property there is often work to be done that goes above and beyond your light touch DIY jobs for the weekend.

On a monthly basis, the number of properties sold last year spiked in March and remained high right through until dropping again in November, so the nation’s professional tradespeople will currently be gearing up for the incoming rush of work.

But where is home to the largest number of potential jobs based on the biggest proportion of existing property sales?

Blaenau Gwent in Wales is the biggest trade job hotspot with existing properties accounting for 99.7% of all transactions and newly built properties accounting for just .3%.

Wales seems a safe bet for tradesperson demand with Merthyr Tydfil ranking second with 99.3% of all transactions coming within the existing property space.

Portsmouth ranks third (98.7%), followed by Ceredigion (98.6%), Brighton and Hove (98.2%), Rhondda Cynon Taff (97.7%), Bournemouth (97.7%), Powys (97.4%), Poole (97.2%) and Caerphilly (96.7%).

Founder and CEO of HaMuch.com, Tarquin Purdie, commented:

“Searching for a local tradesperson used to limit you to companies within the immediate area, but technology now allows us to receive instant quotes from much further afield, and with strong competition for work, many tradespeople will travel much longer distances and even work away during the week for a well-paid opportunity.

Whether this is at a commercial or residential property, the best paid opportunities with the more substantial workloads often come via those who have recently acquired a property and have a number of things to remedy before they can call the job done.

With peak season for property buying almost upon us, it would seem the best chance of maximising your workload if you do work in the trades is to up sticks and move to either Wales or the South coast of England, as these are the areas with by far the most existing property sales as a proportion of all transactions.”

Area
Existing properties sold as a % of all transactions (2019)
BLAENAU GWENT
99.7%
MERTHYR TYDFIL
99.3%
PORTSMOUTH
98.7%
CEREDIGION
98.6%
BRIGHTON AND HOVE
98.2%
RHONDDA CYNON TAFF
97.7%
BOURNEMOUTH
97.7%
POWYS
97.4%
POOLE
97.2%
CAERPHILLY
96.7%
SWANSEA
96.57%
NEATH PORT TALBOT
96.52%
DENBIGHSHIRE
96.50%
SOUTHEND-ON-SEA
96.38%
YORK
96.37%
PEMBROKESHIRE
95.89%
ISLE OF ANGLESEY
95.79%
SOUTHAMPTON
95.48%
LEICESTER
95.35%
NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE
95.27%

Properganda PR

National and local media coverage for property businesses. Journo quotes delivered in minutes.

You May Also Enjoy

Damaged timber from Dry Rot
Estate Agent Talk

Mould and damp – what you need to know ahead of winter

With the winter months just round the corner, problems with damp and mould can become far more prominent. Autumntime is when many people turn on central heating systems and choose to close windows, preventing fresh air ventilation needed to allow damp air to leave a property. Unfortunately, the combination of warm and damp air can…
Read More
Breaking News

Rental price and average salary tracker – September 2025

London and South East see biggest dips in required rental salary year-on-year London and the South East saw the sharpest dips year-on-year in the average salary needed in order to rent the average home in that area. London saw a 4.2% drop, whilst the South East saw a decline of 2.9%. Yorkshire and Humberside saw…
Read More
buying at auction uk
Breaking News

The cities where buying beats renting – with just a 5% deposit

British first-time buyer mortgage payments are typically 17% cheaper than renting, even with a low 5% deposit The average 5% deposit is £11,412 based on a typical first-time buyer property price of £228,233 Among major cities outside London, the biggest gap between owning and renting is in Glasgow, where buyers could save more than £4,750…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove’s Weekly Mortgage Rates Tracker

Average rates for 2-year and 5-year fixed-rate mortgages   Term Average rate Weekly change Yearly change 2-year fixed 4.51% +0.00% -0.37% 5-year fixed 4.55% +0.01% +0.01%   Lowest rates for 2-year and 5-year fixed-rate mortgages   Term Lowest rate Weekly change Yearly change 2-year fixed 3.77% +0.05% -0.07% 5-year fixed 3.97% +0.10% +0.29%   Average…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Data and commentary from Rightmove on stamp duty reforms

Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert said: “We’ve been calling for stamp duty reform for some time now, as it’s a significant barrier for many people moving home. Abolishing it completely would remove one of the biggest barriers to moving, unlocking more moves at all stages of the property ladder. “Our data shows that only 5%…
Read More
Breaking News

Second-time buyers dominate demand for longer term fixed mortgage deals

Second-time buyers are dominating demand for longer term fixed mortgage deals, fresh data from Moneyfacts Analyser can reveal. Of those looking for fixed term deals on moneyfactscompare.co.uk: Almost two-thirds (58%) of second-time buyers who compared mortgage deals using the moneyfactscompare.co.uk website were considering terms of three years or longer in the 30 days to 1…
Read More